Positioning device for railway-car couplers



- 19 1927. I July G. G. GILPIN POSITINING -DEVICE FOR RAILWAY CAR COUPLERS "lll/lilla.' A f sentialbecause if the couplers were allowed 4 Patented July 19, 1927.

` UNITED STA-TES PATENT OFFICE.A

GARTII G. GILPIN, or RIVERSIDE, ILLINOIS, AssIGNoR'To UNION METAL PRODUCTS COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OE DELAWARE.

Application med April 19, 192s. sentii No. 103,049.

This device relates to means for automatically positioning the coupler of a railway car by gravity. 1

Two railway lcars are `automatically coupled together by the movement of their respective couplers forcing the tails of the `pivoted knuckles behind gravity locks. The

permit a limited amount of lateral movement. Such limitation isnecessary rand esto move too far to eitherl side, the couplers of the two cars being coupled would pass each other and not couple, thereby defeating they object of theautomatic coupler.l The greater thelateral movement of a coupler the less side pressure on the strikingl casting when the cars are going aroundcurves. This lateral pressure forces the wheel flanges against the rail causingconsiderable friction and wearingo: the rails and wheels.

One of the objects ofthe invention is-to increase the amount of permissible vlateral movement of a couplerby providing automatic `means for returning thel couplers. to,

the longitudinal center of the `car or at least close enough thereto so that the autovmatic couplers will couple. This is what is termed the coupling range.

Itis very often necessary to couplecars .on curves and frequently when the radius ot' the curve is very small, vas is common around industrial plants, the couplers of: the i two'cars will be so far out of alignment that'` they will not automatically couple. `Another objecti 'of the invention is to'automatically bring such couplers within coupling range. The outside rail of a curved track is raised above the inside rail 'and I provide means y:whereby the coupler is moved towardvv the inside of the curve by gravity. This automatic gravity means'also'returns the coupler to .the longitudinal center of the car wheny the car moves from the curved to the straight part of the track.

'In my device the lateral movementbe-r tween the coupler and the carrier is el-imi` nated, thus reducing'friction and consequent wearon the parts. This is quite-.an item 'particularly in' sandy countries becausel couplers are costly landzthe replacement of service. l

Coupler ositiomng devlces ,reduces the number of roken knuckles and guard arms a coupler lmeans keeping the c ar out of Figs. 5 and fshowV the relation lon couplersA which membersare frequently bent or brokenwhen thecouplers are not within coupling range.V Such devices also reduce the nummer of accidents to trainmen asthey are not' required to go between the .cars and position the coupler preparatory to :couplin-g. f Y couplers are mounted in the cars so as toy may be, which devices raise the coupler as they roll or rock to one side, thus causing the coupler to return to central normal positlon, by gravity. Such devices also cause the coupler to move laterally when the car is ona'curved track. lVhen a single roller or rocker is used it does not stabilize the coupler, that is, vprevent itfrom revolving `around kits Vown Alongitudinal axis, therefore,

a lpair of such eccentric members are desir-A able to -act like a parallelogram to raise the coupler- (or carriage) inV a horizontal plane.

, An object of my invention `is to tie two (or moreysuch eccentric members together so as to Obtain a unitaryvand simultaneous action between them to `assure a proper -operative relation betweenthe positioning device` and its .associated car partsgat'all times and under all service conditions.

' In the drawings: I

Fig. 1 shows a `typical 'applicationof the `device to arailway car. p F1g.\2 isa section on line 2 2 of Fig. l.

4-Figs 3 and .4; are ldiagrai'ns showing the preferred ormfinv normal position and eX-. treme lateral position, respectively.

of a roller and the connecting links.

Figs. 7 and 8 show a modifiedform and different means of retaining the parts in proper relation. ,r

Figs.- 9, 10 and 11 show the relation of `a rocker andthe connecting link.

Figs. 12 and 13 show a modified construction whereinthe carriage has been climi-s hated. Y

The striking casting or buter block 2 il A port vand move i'reely thereiii.

i upon a carriage G ivhieh engages the support in such a manner as to restrict its movement longitudinally ot the car but permits its movement sidewise of the car.- This is preterably accomplished by providing a U- shaped. support having spaced apart Walls 7*-8 between which the 'carriage moves in one direction b ut is restricted in its n'ovement longitudinally of the car;v

Two v(or more) rollers 12 are" interposed between the coupler support and the carriage, each ot which rollers has a curved upper .surface 13 and lower surface 14 which have a rolling engagement with the carriage andsupport, respectively. Theserollers are held in place by being' positioned within a U- shaped supporte. The radius 15V of each of the ,curved surfaces is `.fn-eater "than halt the dept-h ot the roller so that as it rolls to one side it raises the coupler, as shoivn in 1l. This is what is called an eccentric roller; i

The two rollers are connected by pair oit links 30 Xfvhich aire Vpivotally connected to both rollers by pin 31. In this form the rollors comprise opposit'ely disposed Wide bearings 32433 connected by a narronY 'shank 34 and the links are positioned on opposite sides of the sh'ank. 'The upper and lo'iv'erbearings are Wider than the overall dimension' of the pin (as shoivn in Fig. 6) so that the device may be positioned vvithin the U-sl'iap'ed sup- The 'carriage is provided ivith oppositely disposed projectionsl which engage the outer sides of the rollers and the support is provided with oppositely disposed projections 16 which also engage the outer sidesr the rollers..

l'Vhen the coupler moves laterally some of these lugs engage rollers ce'itising;l them to raise the coupler, which act-ion is shown in Fig. 4. I

Y Figsi and 8 show a similar,construction to that described for Figs'. 4 but rockers have been shoivnlnstead of `'rollers (12) landvalso 'a single link 3G is shown' ivhich Y is positioned between the spaced ap'artwalls of the rocker and V'pivota'lly `seburedtlieieto by the 'pin 37; Furthermore, the support and 'carriage are each'proi'fid'ed -ivith a lug and 19) which ispositioned betvven the roc-'kers and engage the inner 'sides thereof. Upon a lateral movement o't the coupler the lug on the support engages the 'inner 'side of one rocker and the lunV 'on th carriage ennages the inner 's ideot the other rocker causin'g them to raise the coupler, which vaction is shown in Fig. 8.

Figs. l2 and 13 show a construction similar to that shown in Fi gs. 3 and 4 except the carriage has been omittedand each of the rollers is provided with@ 3S Which engages' one side' oft the coupler and the coupler support isprovidedwith. a projection 18 cn- ,aginn the inner sides' tthe respective rollers. The action of this device upon lateral movement ot the coupler is shown in Fig. 13.

The rollers are connected by the link 39.`

.In my co-pending application I have claimed a positioning devicehving eccentric rollers With curved surfaces enfblfagiingr associated parts of the car but the inyentlon as claimed in this `application is an improve- 1. In a railway car; the combination a` coupler support. aeonpler carriage having means to' restrict the lateral movement of the coupler relative thereto, a pair of rollers interposed therebetween having curved sur-l 'taces engaging, respectively saidV support and said carriage, the radius of each surface being greater than half thefdepth of the rollers, said support and said carriage, re-

spectively, provided Wit-h means which en-' 'age `the rollers upon lateral movement of the' coupler, and a link connecting the rollers forsimultaneous movement.

2. A centering device for a railway car coupler comprising a pair of rollers connect- 'ed by a pair ot links, each of said rollers having oppositely disposed `Wide bearings connected by a narrow shank, said links' being positioned on opposite sides of the shank, and means to pivot'ally secure the links t the sha-nhs. Y

3. A centering device for arailivay car coupler comprising apairof rollers connected by va pair of links. each of said rollers having oppositely disposed wide bearings connected by a narrow shank; saidlinks being positioned. on opposite sides of the shank, and means to pivotally secure thelinks to the Shanks, said parts so proportioned that the overallwidth of the shank` links and means is` less thn the ividth of the bearings.

GARTH G. GiLPiN. 

